South Asia in May 2026: the most important developments in politics
South Asia's political news in May 2026 was led by Sri Lanka, where a warrant was issued on 22 May for politician Basil Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka's Parliament extended the state of emergency by another month, approved the Inland Revenue Amendment Bill, and Cabinet approved amendments to the Animals Act. Concerns were raised over Rs. 3 billion in digital health procurements, and a complaint was filed against the Bribery Commission's Director General. A top Vietnamese leader visited on 8 May, and the two countries upgraded their ties to a comprehensive partnership.
Bangladesh's relations with India were tested. India's foreign ministry called the repatriation of illegal Bangladeshi nationals a 'core issue' after Dhaka spoke of a 'push-in'. Bangladesh's foreign minister said future ties will depend on the Ganges water-sharing treaty, and China offered to be Bangladesh's trusted development partner. Bangladesh moved civil servant training from India to Pakistan, and Sheikh Hasina warned of a return to 'dark days' and vowed a comeback.
In Southeast Asia, the ASEAN summit in Cebu on 8 May saw the Philippines broker talks between Thailand and Cambodia, while Thailand scrapped a sea boundary pact and a naval pact with Cambodia. Thailand also ended its 60-day visa-free scheme, and Thaksin Shinawatra was released on parole on 11 May. Malaysia's dispute with Norway over a blocked missile delivery deepened, and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim raised the possibility of a snap election. Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial opened in the Philippines on 18 May. Myanmar's leader pardoned 4,335 prisoners as the new president and was to visit India, and Cambodia pardoned opposition politician Kem Sokha.
Major-power diplomacy also featured. Xi Jinping and Donald Trump met in Beijing on 14 May, with China warning of Taiwan war risks. At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there should be no Chinese hegemony.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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